How to Win More Customers With Best Call Center Software for Small Business?

The whole point of having a call centre business up and running in the first place is to be able to meet the ever increasing needs of the customers. With consumerism on the rise, customers are becoming more ruthless than ever before. Today, they come to you with sky high expectations and would like you to live up to them, if not exceed them. Unrealistic? Yes, definitely. But that is the harsh truth. Today, there is an increasing demand for the best call center software for small business. And increasing customer expectations is the reason behind it.

Customers today want you to give them the best possible service –unless you do, you don’t get their loyalty back in return. And as we all know, customer retention is highly coveted. If you cannot get your customers to keep coming back to you, what is the point of all the hard work you’re putting in?

Coming back to customer retention, what forms the backbone of efficient call center operations? It is the call center software you use. The entire contact center business revolves around the software that is being used. The customer database, the solutions – you name it, it is all entirely dependent on the kind and quality of contact center softwareyou use.

The question is, how do you pick and choose the right software? If you look up online, you would find numerous informative articles about the various kinds of software applications available for call centers. You might even shortlist a few! But are you confident that the software applications you have shortlisted are apt for your business?

Look, small scale business have different needs and function on a completely different level than large scale businesses. Naturally, the kind of software applications a large scale business uses wouldn’t be right for small scale businesses. More than choosing the best call center software, you need to be able to select the right software for yourself. Unless you get hold of the correct software, your business would be the one taking the fall.

But don’t worry. We have compiled a list of 23 tips and pointers that can help you select the right software and make the most of the experience:

1. Before you actually take the plunge, you need to determine who would be using the software. There are different teams at the call center and it is the team effort or collaboration of all these teams that can help you reach your goal. Naturally, you need to decide which team would be in charge of operating the call center software. Would your agents be handling the software directly? Or would all your team members have access to it?

2. When you are selecting a call center software for your company, you need to determine if your call center is more into inbound or outbound calling. Different call centers have different needs and would require different software based on the kind of calls being made. Thus, you should get the kind of software that goes with your operations.

3. There are essentially two kinds of software technology that are available for call centers. One, you have the on premise call center software. This kind of software technology, although popular, requires a designated space and also special IT specialists for maintenance. That can be pretty expensive for small scale businesses.

4. On the other hand, you have the VoIP technology which basically relies on the cloud based technology. Most call centers today are shifting to the cloud. The cloud call center management software provides you with a centralised database for your customer related information and makes functions a whole lot simpler.

5. How big is your budget when it comes to call center software? Of course, more the budget the better software you get. However, it would be wrong to assume that you lower budget will compel you to compromise on quality. There are several software technologies available for lower prices. You just have to know where to look.

6. How many agents would be having access to the software? You have to remember that this is a piece of technology; on overloading, it might end up crashing and bring your operations down with it. That is why it is important to select software that is able to take and cope with the kind of workload you have in mind.

7. As a call center business, you must have high hopes of expansion in the future. That is why it is important to go for scalable software technology that allows your business to grow and flourish. If the kind of software you use that determines how far your business grows. The software application you choose should be able to grow with your business.

8. Are the people using your software tech savvy? If yes, then you can go for advanced cloud call center software solutions. Otherwise, you will have to stick with the basic versions of the software. You could actually appoint the agents with the maximum skills to take charge of your software.

9. Your agents will require training sessions to familiarise them with the working of the software application. If you are implementing a new kind of software in your place of work, then chances are, most of your agents might not be familiar with it. To ensure that you get the most out of your software applications, you should organise specialised training programs for it.

10. The kind of software you choose should come with easy integration options. You already have a system in place, don’t you? It could either be CRM or any other kind of application. When you are looking for a software, then you must get one that comes with a centralised integration system. That would provide for a seamless working experience.

11. How many calls do you receive in a day? What are your peak hours? During which time of the year do you receive the maximum number of calls? These are some questions you need to answer before you can select the software for yourself. The kind of software you pick should be able to cope with the excessive workload.

12. You are already aware of the high hopes and expectations customers have from you. If you want to live up to that, you need to determine the quality of service you intend to provide. Based on the quality of service you are aiming for, you can start selecting a software for yourself. This should actually be the first step in selecting the call center software for yourself.

13. By now, you should already be aware of the various metrics that exist in the field of call center business. What are the various kinds of metric that you want to use? More importantly, what is it that you want to track with the metrics? Based on that, you can select the kind of software that would allow you to do so. The most advanced kind of call center software would even pave the way for gamification.

14. Most customer care solutions that you see are customisable. After all, each business has its own set of needs and demands. No two businesses have the same requirements and goals. Thus, what may be great for one business may not be all that beneficial for another business. Naturally, you need to get your hands on software technology that comes with easy customisation options.

15. There is a common misconception that small scale businesses do not bring in more customers. However, this is wrong. Small businesses may have limited resources but they have just the core features required to bring in or attract more and more customers. The moment you have a team of people dealing with customers, you have call center functionality.

16. Efficient call center software solutions would allow you to control your resources completely. When working at a call center, it is imperative to manage your call center resources efficiently. The call center software would allow you to service your customers better and would also help you satisfy them better.

17. The customer care software that you use would help you locate your customers better. Customers are always looking for customised or personalised services. The software would allow you to do that. With one click, you will have all the relevant information at your fingertips and will be able to provide your customer with exactly what he or she needs.

18. Efficient call center software would not only pave the way for a healthy relationship between the customer and the company but would also create a seamless working experience for both the customer and the agent. It would also save time and enable the call center agent to deal with more customers in a shorter period of time. That automatically increases your efficiency and also increases the overall productivity of your agents.

19. Not only your call center agents, but also the customers benefit from use of a magnificent call center software. For instance, the worst part about calling up a call center software is the long holding time. It sets a terrible tone for the rest of the call. But with efficient call center operations and your customers wouldn’t have to wait for long. Also, an efficient software system allows your customers to get the exact answers to their questions.

20. Call recording becomes easier and much more accessible with call center software. Calls are usually recorded for training purposes. The call recordings can help the agent understand exactly where they are going wrong and if they have scope for improvement. As you must be knowing already, call recordings are an integral aspect of quality management at call centers. With call center software, it becomes easier to record all calls and then listen to the recordings.

21. Earlier, it was important to invest a ton of money and burn a hole in your pocket trying to pay for maintenance if you wanted to see your call center success. But that is not the case anymore. Today, you can just pay a small amount of money, get hold of a magnificent call center software technology and make the most of the benefits it comes with. Yes of course, you will have to invest a certain amount of money if you want to maintain your software. However, we assure you, it is worth it.

22. At reasonable prices, you get affordable and top quality service which redeems itself in terms of efficiency and increased conversions. Case studies have shown that companies who managed to get their hands on the top quality call center software have marked increase in their conversion rate. That should give you a fair idea of what impression customers leave with. Also, your efficiency level increases twice fold. This is not mere speculation, but something that statistics will prove. Hence, you need to stop worrying about call center software pricing and take the plunge.

23. Implementing the right call center software is of the utmost importance. Thus, it is actually advisable to take your time in call center software comparison before you move forward. Is this the first time you are implementing a call center software at your place of work? Well, don’t worry. You just need to ensure that you are ready for it. Prepare yourself and your agents for the new software that is to be implemented and work towards a common goal. Be cautious and test the software before you actually purchase it.

Case Study I

By now, you should have a fair idea of what a good call center software can do for your business – especially if this is the first time you’re picking out software for your company. When you are setting up a call center business for yourself, then this should be your first step. As we have mentioned already, your entire operations would be dependent on this one aspect.

Most of you have read numerous articles online about the success stories of various companies and BPO operations. But if you were to actually pour through these success stories in great detail, you would realise one very poignant point. And that is the breakthrough came only after having implemented a splendid software for functioning. The software you use will ultimately determine the kind of service you provide and that leaves a lasting impression on the minds of the customer.

The brand name of Aditya Birla must be pretty familiar to all of you. After all, this is by far one of the largest businesses in India. With branches in almost every field, the Birla Group has established firm roots here. Aditya Birla Minacs is responsible for providing customised business process outsourcing solutions or BPO solutions. It wouldn’t be out of place to mention here that the group has had twenty eight years of experience in this field.

The company focuses its BPO solutions in mainly five areas – management of customer relationship, knowledge and process outsourcing, integrated marketing services, IT and accounting and finance outsourcing. With so many branches, it is important to have well organised BPO solution providers. Minacs also has branches all across the globe and consists of more than 13000 employees.

Over the years, the company has shown tremendous growth and expansion in the field of cultural diversity, multiculturalism and also in industry. As of 2016, Aditya Birla Minacs is one of the leading providers of the best class solutions globally. However, even the largest of the companies have had to overcome numerous hindrances to get to the top and Minacs is no exception. The growing competition and increasing demand did lead to certain glitches in their services. Yet, Minacs surpassed all obstacles and came out with flying colours. Here, we have provided you with a detailed case study which shows you exactly how Minacs reached the top position today and how its contact center software played a key role in it.

The problem and the solution: the final outcome

Minacs had promised its customers one thing – to provide reports of results in a timely fashion at every step of the customer – company relationship. The promise seems rather noble, yet it is one that is hard to keep up. The competition is way too strong and the demand way too high – automatically, there was a grave risk of services deteriorating and falling short of expectations. With a basic version of contact center software, there was only so much the guys at Minacs could do.

Naturally, there was an ardent need to upgrade the software. It was important to get their hands on a system that would give them the tools to take decisions quicker and in an efficient manner. It would also enable them to provide well equipped and more informed services. Eventually, after a long quest, Minacs came across just the software for them.

This software would help disparate the IT tools and system for their enhanced BPO solutions and would also help them build an integrated business intelligence platform. This platform would enable the company to perform better and meet the high expectations of customers. It would vastly improve the global financial and operational performance by using reports, analytics and other metrics. In other words, Minacs came across a software technology that would completely revolutionize the way their business functions.

• Being a global company, information and resources were earlier presented in a rather scattered manner. It didn’t even have its own reporting system and cross functional analysis didn’t even exist. That hampered the reliability of the software and also the accuracy of the reports generated was put under question.

• The software that Minacs used now was then implemented in such a manner that it gathered and conglomerated reports from all the different centers around the world. This not only revolutionized the way the operations were carried out but also made it quicker, better, faster, more reliable and efficient. It also paved the way for more accurate reports to be generated.

• It also became possible for managers of the company to have access to real time information – something that was only a distant dream so far. This had a massive effect on the overall productivity levels of the company. For instance, the efficiency levels went up of each individual employee and their productivity increased as well. A closer and more critical look at the company’s performance showed a marked improvement.

• The software also helped the company come up with numerous strategies and plans that could help meet customer goals. It allowed the company to indulge in strategies that were customer centric entirely. The existing strategies were revised and new ones were conceived.

• Since the software called for consolidating all the data and information in one single location, it made the company’s operations all the more organised and planned. The single location factor enabled the users to view all the reports at one go and that made taking important decisions seem like a piece of cake. It also paved the way for cross functional analysis.

• The software allowed for filtering data and information, merging all the data from various sources, providing a fast, robust and powerful business analysis tool, reporting at a more efficient rate, an improved navigation feature and so on. These are some of the core features that led to the success of the company as a whole. Without this, their BPO solutions wouldn’t have been what it is today.

• As a matter of fact, Minacs is working on something new now. They are planning to open up this platform to the customers themselves. That means, the customers would now be able to access the software all by themselves. This would be a first in this business and would definitely be a revolutionary move. Also, it would allow the customers to be more informed and would keep them in the loop.

Thus you see, with the right kind of software technology backing you up, there’s no way you could go wrong. You would completely be in control of your resources and would be able to make the most of them. Like Minacs, you too could be catapulted to success. So what are you really waiting for? Start your quest now!

AFS is a company that sells Personal Loans, Credit Cards, Home Loans and Car Loans.

Based in the rapidly growing Tier-II Indian city of Pune, AFS’ main method of outreach is via Outbound Calling. Through this, it generates leads that are pushed into its pipeline and closed over a period of time. Its telecallers operate as Sales Agents with remuneration packages composed of a fixed and variable amount. The variable amount is the commission earned from sales closed and, often, forms the greater chunk of the Agent’s pay.

Naturally, one would expect AFS to utilize the most suited call center software but that was not the case. AFS represents a typical SME across operational and financial dynamics. It functions as DSA (Direct Sales Agent) for multiple banks and financial institutions, employs a 17 member team including 10 Telecallers.

Problems faced:

Mr. VS, Proprietor AFS, is an enterprising first-generation entrepreneur. He started his career a few years ago as a Telecaller in a similar company and has since grown to establish his own firm.

However, he is now faced with several problems. While the business continues to grow rapidly, so are the problems of maintaining operational efficiencies, business ROI, transparent methods of lead management and commissions earned by the sales teams.

A typical sales cycle follows the model mentioned below:

• A telecaller makes a call to a “prospect” (i.e. a prospective client) and pitches the products that AFS sells.

• Once the “prospect” has agreed to make a purchase and asks for someone to come onsite for the necessary paperwork such as document collections, signatures, physical address verifications (etc.) the telecaller assigns the meeting to the Field-Force Team that sends their Field-Agents for the appointment.

• At the anointed day, time & place, the Field Agent collects the required documents and informs the Manager that he has done so.

• However, this cycle is often carried out over several phone calls by the Telecaller over several days and sometimes weeks and even months. Each subsequent conversation between the telecaller and the “prospect” serves as reference points for the next call. Further, there are many instances when the Field-Agent is unable to close the sale due to reasons such as a lack of proper paperwork, re-scheduling on part of the “prospect” or even by the Field –Agent due to a clash with other similar appointments.

• In addition, there are problems of lead mismanagement between the team (due to a lack of proper outbound caling and field management procedures), Field-Agents rescheduling meetings to suit their own convenience, coteries within the employees sub-managing lead allocations and appointments and so on…

Raw Process: currently, AFS uses a “raw process’ for making all their calls and managing their leads. Printouts with calling list details are given to the Telecallers periodically and landlines are used to make these calls. Telecallers have targets such as Daily Calls Made and Appointments Generated. There is an increasing need to record Telecaller conversation not only for Training & Development but also from a supervisory perspective.

No “Pipeline Management”: is an increasing result of Mr. VS being at a loss to calculate critical business metrics such as ROI, cost of customer acquisition and profitability. For example, how many calls does it take for a typical customer to close? Is the data that he uses for creating calling lists relevant or is there too much wastage?

Are his current numbers more or less than they should be? Are his profits justified? Or, is the company leaving money on the table? Alternatively, is he operating above industry levels already?

No Reports, Measurement & Insight: currently, none of this is available. The Team Leaders and Managers are dependent on daily notes and scribbles made by Telecallers to gauge progress on calls made, appointments generated and sales made. They have zero visibility on the Field-Force and are dependent on the Field-Agents responding to calls.

Mr. VS realizes that he has very little control over a growing business with no organized reporting mechanism. As a result, he has no insight or measurement and senses already that his investment and efforts are returning him a poor ROI.

After discussions with his internal Team Leaders and after doing some research Mr VS was convinced that installing the relevant and efficient method of outbound calling was the way forward for him. Given that these modern solutions have zero CapEx, no hardware or software requirements (minimal, if at all), provide 24*7 online training, live call analytics and reports and are easy to use, he was keen to see how he could benefit from deploying a modern call center software solution tool. He soon identified the relevant solution for his company and had it installed.

Benefits & Results:

Streamlined Lead Management Process: the new cloud call center software immediately helped in streamlining the process of outbound calling, lead management and case closures. The User Interface (UI) was simple and easy to use. It offered the Telecaller many options that they could use with the help of pre-created dispositions and buttons. This helped in feeding call results in quickly and moving on to the next call, also adding to the number of calls made every day. This, in turn, improved the strength of the pipeline and increased the amount of business generated. The Field Force could also download the same application on their cellphones and feed in the results of their daily appointments. This was updated live on the Manager’s dashboard allowing for real-time tracking. Tools like geo-tracking and battery power tracking allowed Team Leaders to make sure that no Field Agent was playing truant during work hours.

Download and Use on Cellphone: the software selected by AFS was a unique combination of a Cloud Software and Mobile APP. This Next-Gen virtual call center software could be downloaded as an APP from the Google Play Store and operated completely via the cellphone. The team Leader(s) could use their laptops to upload calling lists via excel sheets and assign to individual Telecallers. This cut his cost of operations because the company did not have to invest into heavy hardware, IT personnel, laptops/desktops or landlines for the Telecallers.

Unique Auto-Dialer: the software was equipped with a unique Auto-Dialer that made sure that the time allowed between ending one call and beginning the other was the time that was allowed (pre-fixed) by the Team Leaders. This ensured that the maximum number of calls that were efficiently possible was being made daily while at the same time allowing the Telecallers enough time for all After Call Tasks (ACT) so that the required results and information from the calls were being recorded for future reference and use.

LIVE Call Recording: The software had provisions for live call recordings. This helped the AFS team immensely since the Team Leaders could now listen to the recordings of calls made. This allowed the company to train those Telecallers that needed improvement and also to use good pitches as points of reference for training sessions especially for the new Telecallers that came on board.

This also helped in proving the historical exchanges with prospects and clients during campaigns for Up-Selling and Cross-Selling their products.

LIVE Call Reports: the AFS team now has access to Live Call Reports and Analytics. This was a huge benefit since it allowed them to measure and monitor the business across all aspects. Key business metrics such as no. of daily calls made, length of calls, percentage of closures vs. number of calls made, which Telecallers were the “star” performers and those that needed training, business generated vs. costs incurred (etc.) were available live and at the touch of a few buttons.

Use Work-From-Home-Agents: since the only “equipment” needed by the Telecallers was a smartphone, Mr. VS also decided to use Work-From-Home-Agents. Once recruited, AFS conducted a 7-day on-site training sessions for these new agents after which they operated from their homes (other locations). AFS found that using this Work-From-Home Model helped in:

– Reducing the company operating cost since lesser amounts of physical office space and infrastructure was needed.

– Importantly, it opened up the supply side of the Telecaller labor force for AFS and they were not restricted to Pune only.

– Not only did AFS benefit from the availability of better and increased number of Telecallers for hire, they were also able to hire part-time workers and women workers more easily. This helped in managing their Telecaller requirement during peak periods during the year as well as periods that were slow.

24*7 Online Support: since support was real-time and live from a centralized support center that the software vendor maintained for its clients, there were no issues of lack of support or training. Hence, no “downtime” or “work-hours” were lost due to any of AFS team members not being able to operate the new software. Given that it was easy to use, the Telecallers were soon adept at using it.

Business Result Improvements:

Due to the various improvements, AFS saw a 25% productivity increase within the first 3 months. This had grown to a 55% productivity increase at the end of 6 months.

The improvement in productivity was a combination of increase Sales and a reduction in Operating Cost.

While AFS had begun with 10 telecallers in one location, they had increased to using 100+ Telecallers across 4 locations within the first six months itself. This showed the rapid business growth of AFS as an SME and how the call center software had supported and aided this rapid expansion.

Mr. VS was satisfied and happy that he had made the decision to invest in the best call center software for AFS and the results that it had brought him.

Case Study III

Industry:

Retail Wellness

Sub-Industry:

Slimming, Hair Loss, Diet and Nutrition

Company:

VHC is a rapidly growing company in the even faster growing market segment of Retail Health & Wellness.

Headquartered in the Indian capital city of Delhi, VHC is a Retail Wellness Chain and currently employs about a dozen employees in each of its 12 centers including 3-4 Telesales Agents per location. However, they do not use any Call Center Software at this point and use a “raw process” i.e. Excel printouts for data and landlines and personal mobile phones of TeleSales Agents for making calls.

VHC has national presence and is present in 12 cities across the country. They growth has been based on good service and products, Value-For-Money pricing and excellent customer service. The Management has always stressed upon the importance of business from repeat customers and the benefits of Upselling and Cross Selling to an existing base of happy – and trusting – customers.

VHC generates leads for its business in several ways including digital and traditional media. It uses outbound calling as an important method of following up on leads generated, to educate customers and also to set appointments. The objective is to create awareness and educate the prospective client to the extent that they are already “sold” on the services of VHC by the time they walk into an outlet. Leads generated are pushed into the funnel that is then revisited as many times as needed (and pruned per company rules, too).

Problems faced:

While VHC undertakes Branding and brand building activities across the 12 cities that they are present in, the bulk of their lead generation activities are local. Each center has a Marketing & Sales Budget consisting of an allocation from Corporate as well as a local budget that is a percentage of Sales made by that center (outlet).

On-site Installed Solution Infeasible: since VHC operated multiple locations that all reported to the HG in Delhi, to compound the problem mentioned above, a single onsite “in-premise” dialer system was not possible. Not only did the CapEx run into several lakhs per onsite installation, but they also had high operating costs and needed much larger teams of several hundreds to justify an investment of that nature.

No Centralized Method of Tracking and Monitoring Leads: the localized lead generation (and, the recent practice of centralized lead allocation) created problems of tracking and accountability. Since there was no system of organized reporting using common templates and the ‘ad-hoc’ method of management left a lot to be desired. In the view of the growing business, this affected business ROI.

Increased Wastage of Leads: as VHC grew, the Management realized that “accountability” for leads generated is increasing poor. The percentage of wastage appeared to have become much higher, which in turn had affected overall business profitability.

To support business growth and increased capacity at their centers, the HQ in Delhi had also begun to generate leads at the central level and allocate to the relevant centers based on the geographical-origin of those leads. They found, however, that while the overall marketing and lead generation budgets had increased in keeping with the business growth – as had the leads- the top-line growth was not commensurate with this increased AdSpend.

Poor Processes and Transparency: As mentioned above, Upsell & Cross Sell to existing customers has always been a critical part of VHC’s growth, profitability and customer loyalty. However, this practice has not been able to keep up with the growing customer base and the increased number of outlets. Tracking historical customer interactions, purchases and referring to voice recordings of earlier interactions with customers prior to calling them for Renewals and offers of other services is a must but since VHC did not still use a suitable call center software solution, such a facility remained unavailable.

With plans of opening several new centers in another 6 cities, VHC is faced with a severe problem in an area that is critical to their growth and profitability.

No ROI Calculation on AdSpend: currently, the Management relied on daily reports made by the employees of the local centers. These were of no formalized template, but notes and points jotted down by the Telesales Agents. Not only did this create a confusing scenario but the Management realized that it was also giving rise to increasing inefficiencies and appearances of malpractices, too. Further, it affected the overall morale of the workers, especially those that were sincere and went about their tasks diligently.

The Management decided to first improve the area that was critical-to-success i.e. efficient Lead Management and Outbound Calling.

After conducting thorough research, including checking the systems that VHC’s competitors used, the Management selected the most apt call center software for small business (minimal, if at all), provide 24*7 online training, live call analytics and reports and are easy to use, he was keen to see how he could benefit from deploying a modern call center software solution tool. He soon identified the relevant solution for his company and had it installed.

With no infrastructural, hardware or wiring requirements, this solution had a Zero CapEx and could be started small and scaled as needed by the company.

Benefits & Results:

Supported VHCs “Hub-n-Spoke” Model: since VHC used a tiered system of operation with a centralized head office and the downstream city-based centers, the new cloud based telemarketing software was exactly what they needed.

The Central team in Delhi could monitor daily proceedings in real-time. The process of leads entering the system, allocation to the centers and TeleSales Agents, and, the status of those leads as the TeleSales Agents followed through with them, were available real-time.

Zero CapEx, No Hardware, No Software: since this was virtual call center software i.e. completely cloud-based, it worked on a Zero CapEx model with a pay-as-you-go facility. And, since it was not an infrastructure intensive “box” based system, the local teams needed no hardware or localized software and could be increased (or, decreased) based on requirements. The setup in one center did not affect the others or its system relations with the central office in Delhi.

LIVE Call Recording: With live call recordings available, the Central Team could now listen to the recordings of calls made. This helped them to use the recordings to train TeleSales Agents. Importanlty, the TeleSales Agents themselves could refer to earlier conversations when they called prospects for renewals, Upsell (etc.)

Advanced Reports on Key Business Metrics: the advanced reporting suite helped the Management to maintain a constant pulse on the key elements of the business. Important business ratios and metrics like Daily Calls Made, Length of Calls, Lead Closures vs Leads Generated were available in a single dashboard with convenient graphics such as pie-charts and bar-charts. This also helped VHC to calculate targets for the TeleSales Teams while making sure that the number of leads they received were sufficient to achieve their individual sales targets.

ROI calculation on AdSpend: since this cloud-based virtual call center software was integrated with multiple third party software/sources including Sulekha, Just Dial, Google (etc.) all leads generated and received were automatically integrated within a central database. VHC could now calculate which lead generators were giving better results and those that weren’t. This allowed the Management to make better allocation of funds for ongoing and future media campaigns.

Unique Cellphone-based Model: the software could be used purely as a Mobile APP by downloading it as an APP from the Google Play Store and operated completely via the cellphone. All calls were made by the TeleSales Agents from their cellphones and they needed no additional infrastructure at all. Landlines, servers, wiring (etc.) was completely eliminated. This reduced cost of operations considerably because there were no investments needed into any kind of hardware, laptops/desktops or IT personnel.

Real Time Centralized Support: the software developers provided 24*7 live support from a centralized support center. Training as well as refresher training for new and ongoing employees was real-time and immediate. There was no AMC and support was free of cost.

Complete Accountability: due to the improved processes of reporting, lead allocation, and role definition, the entire organization was now acutely aware of their roles and responsibilities. This created a positive work environment where all team members were focused on achieving their individual goals, while at the same time being aware of how they formed a part of the larger processes. This created a positive work environment, happy workers and vastly improved employee morale.

Business Result Improvements:

Within the first 3 months of installation, VHC was able to vastly improve upon their existing procedures and systems.

• There was greater accountability, complete transparency and within the first 3 months, the ROI on AdSpend increased by 34%. This grew to nearly 50% at the end of 6 months.

• This also helped VHC to expand to another 3 locations within the first 6 months.

• With the TeleSales Agents now becoming the life-force of the lead generation and sales process, VHC increased their TeleSales Agent count from 32 to 65 within 6 months.

• At a review meeting after the first 8 months of installation, the Management at VHC was extremely satisfied with the investment they had made in to the cloud call center software for VHC and the benefits they had experienced through it.

Top 6 Tips to Get More Customers Using Call Center Solutions for Small Business

In the current era of the customer-driven market, expectations are bound to be plenty from a call center enterprise. A call center has now assumed the role of a facilitator between customers and the firm apart from being a conventional customer support office.

Call centers play a pivotal role in the longevity of a business, especially in the case of smaller firms. The integration of the advanced calling device like the call center solutions for small business could be apt to fulfill the ever-increasing demand from the customers on time without fail.

All that customers want today is the quick after-sale-service and proper resolution to their grievances apart. Offering them the best customer serving experience is something that is obligatory for a firm to pay greater attention to with utmost dedication and sincerity.

Customer retention is a big challenge now due to wider availability of choice of products and services. Unless a call center provides outstanding service to customers – it’s futile to imagine them sticking to a particular brand for long.

Why is Call Center Software Indispensable for Small Business?

A big-business house can absorb the initial shock of losing a customer owing to the huge amount of capital that they already invested in the firm, but a small business can’t take such risks.

Every customer is important and should be provided with the excellent services. Customer retention is a priority for a small business enterprise. Losing a customer will affect their business.

The customer service at a contact center does matter a lot. A firm should do whatever possible to upgrade the calling process with the latest software and advanced calling tools to ensure smoother call center operation and uninterrupted flow of information to customers.

No doubt, it is the choice of call center tools that eventually ensure the effectiveness of a call center. Small business houses need to pick the right software to execute their customer service goals in a flawless manner around the clock.

Random installation of the software and tools – available over the internet – should not be done. The software for large-scale business might be inappropriate for a small-scale business and vice versa.

For small businesses, keeping the customer delighted is a necessity and when a telecaller fails to resolve a customer’s query or doubt then the same should be transferred to the contact center supervisor in no time for further assistance.

4) User-Friendliness: Software for call center should be simple and easy to use. A telecaller should be able to use the same without any problem. Small business houses cannot employ a dedicated team of IT experts, so simple yet effective software should be used at the contact centers.

5) Web Support: A good calling tool must offer the live website chat support to the customers. Small business houses tend to initiate conversation with customers on their official websites.

Good software should provide this feature as most customers find it convenient to chat online.

6) Call Records and Long Queues: Finally, a customer shouldn’t feel dejected after dialing a contact center. Holding on to a call is the last thing that a customer wants to do. Appropriate software should be used to ensure that customers get connected to a contact center executive at the earliest in a single call.

The use of outstanding software not only ensures proper execution of customer’s requirements but also records complete call conversation data for further improvement in the quality of contact support services.

Considering the widespread competitions all around, tweaking your business and customer service strategy is highly appreciable.

A small business enterprise has to provide something “tangible” that it could stay ahead of the rest, and that is nothing but the outstanding customer support services.

In turn, it guarantees customer retention along with enhancing the reliability and trustworthiness of the firm.